The federal government has announced that Nigeria will be ending all diplomatic ties with Taiwan and that the Taiwan diplomatic office in Abuja should be shut down and relocated to Lagos.
This announcement was made yesterday by Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama after meeting with Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Onyeama said Taiwan would stop enjoying privileges because it wasn’t a country recognized under international law. During the talks, Onyeama also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the “One-China” policy.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry protested the decision in a statement Thursday. “The foreign ministry strongly protests and condemns the unreasonable, rude and outrageous act of political hype carried out by the Nigerian government in complying with mainland China’s political goals,” the ministry said.
China has shown a willingness to use its growing economic and military might to put pressure on Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which swept the more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang from power last year.
The move comes less than a month after the West African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe broke off ties with Taiwan and established formal relations with China, leaving the self-ruled island with just 21 diplomatic partners.
